Friday April 13th 2018 is Ireland's fourth National Workplace Wellbeing Day and is now firmly established as the biggest celebration of workplace wellbeing in the Irish Calendar. I’ve written previously about workplace wellness promotion and about how both employers and employees can play their part in supporting a positive work environment so I’m delighted to help spread the word about this event as ultimately this day represents everything that Office Worker Health is about:

Think about how you feel during your workdays. Maybe you have pain in your neck or back and feel stiff and sore when you stand up from your desk. Perhaps fatigue and irritability set in as you try to focus on projects or meeting discussions.

While there are many factors that influence how we feel during the day, the configuration of your work area – the place where you spend most of your time working, has a major effect on our overall health and well-being.

Take a close look at your work area; the place where you spend the most time working. Now think about how you sit while working. Do your shoulders hunch forward? Is your keyboard so far from you that your arms are extended while typing? Is your chair so low that your low back is rounded over, or so high that your feet are not flat on the floor? Does the lighting seem either too bright or too dim? Do you use a sit-stand desk, but still feel fatigue, aches and stiffness during and after your work days?

As an Online Coach myself, I want to start off by saying that I was initially very hesitant to become one.

I am a Personal Trainer and have been working in-person with clients for the last 5 years. The thought of not being able to physically be there with someone and make adjustments put me off the idea of training someone 'online.'

But in 2017, I released my first online coaching program. And it was an absolute life changer.

I was diagnosed with MS in 2003 and wow what a shock it was at the time. I was enjoying a successful career in Finance and living a full life outside of work.

After receiving my diagnosis, I remember sitting in a park crying my eyes out at the thought of what might happen and then I said to myself “I will not be a victim”. What I meant by this was, I would do everything I could, to stay well.

Uncontrolled stress can sabotage any weight loss plan. As a nurse practitioner and health coach, I see many clients who list weight loss as their main wellness goal. Often they tell me they are not losing weight even though they have changed their diet and started working out. I always ask about their stress levels, and most of them will indicate it is “moderate” to “very high.” I usually focus on ways to decrease their stress levels first, then diet and exercise.

For office workers, the danger isn’t lifting heavy objects or working hard in the sun all day, it’s conditions like carpal tunnel and computer vision syndrome. While workers are far less likely to throw a back out or herniate a disk at their desks, they’re still vulnerable to a wide array of health issues and injury risks.

We know that sitting at a desk and staring at a computer screen all day can take its toll, but what can Human Resources do about it? Let’s look at how HR and the management team can take better care of their workers in the office.

It’s around this time every January that many New Year resolutions have begun to falter or have been totally ditched already. The second Friday in January is now known as “Quitters Friday” and Monday just passed has been dubbed “Blue Monday” as it’s apparently the most depressing day of the year. What a load of horsesh1t. They are just days of the week like any other day. I choose not to read into the nonsense that the tabloid media feel the need to perpetuate at this time of year.

Anything that encourages exercise, eating well and community is to be welcomed. No matter what your level of fitness, there’s something everyone can take away from Operation Transformation.

For anyone unfamiliar with the show, Operation Transformation is a health and fitness programme airing on Irish TV and Radio that is comparable to ‘The Biggest Loser’ programme popular in other parts of the world.

Tis the Season—for New Year’s Resolutions. These are our new or renewed goals and commitments to eating less, exercising more, spending less time in front of our devices and more time with our families, cleaning out our closets and setting up a system so they stay uncluttered. So many goals—so much frustration.

As a health coach, I have seen this time and time again. Smokers set their quit date on Jan. 1. People join a gym and proclaim they will get there at least 3 times a week—starting Jan. 1.